Bula Vinaka Week 7!

Bula Vinaka everyone! I hope everyone had a great week. I miss you all, but I can feel your love and prayers so thank you so much for that! As for my week, it was easily the craziest week out on my mission so far. WOW. I'll try to explain it the best I can!

So Monday night we went on splits with other Elders. We went to one of our investgators houses named Jack. This guy is seriously the man. He is this massive 6'5 jacked Fijian dude, who is way mean at rugby. He is at the level just below the Fijian national team, and he wins player of the match nearly every game he has. I asked him if he wants to play for the Fijian national team, and he said he is going to try out next year. The Fijian national rugby team is literally treated like royalty so if I could say that I have taught a Fijian national rugby player that would be unreal. Anyways we taught him a quick lesson, and he says he feels as if the reason he plays so good is because of this gospel. Man way cool guy, so humble. He's just the best.

Tuesday was the day that changed pretty much everything. We were out proselyting and got a call from our mission president. (If you get a call from the mission president its usually a pretty big deal). He talked to Elder Moore first and told him that he was being transfered to be a Zone leader in Suva. He then handed me the phone and president then asked me if I would be able to be the driver, starting Thursday. Meaning I had to learn how to drive stick and how to drive on the left side of the road in one day. WHAT IN THE WORLD. haha needless to say I almost peed myself but then I remembered the scripture that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." So I was comforted knowing that I would be able to do it.

Wensday we celebrated Elder Moore's birthday a little bit early because he was going to be transfered before his birthday.  We went to a really nice hotel down the street from our flat and payed for a breakfast buffet. WOAH THE BEST. Like literally we both gained almost a pound and a half from eating so much. Just a heavenly meal haha. We ate so much that we ate at 8 and we weren't hungry again till the next morning. haha The mission is some hard work, but you have to find ways to have fun and we definitely do. We spent most of that day practicing driving, which I actually picked it all up pretty fast and feel pretty confident now driving in Fiji which is good!

Thursday, I dropped Elder Moore off at the Bus to suva which was good because I knew it was where he needs to be right now. But it was way sad because we had become best friends in just six weeks. But its alright the work still moves on.

 

Saying goodbye to my companion Elder Moore 

Friday I picked up my new companion and spent the whole day explaining to him our investigators and our area. It was a bit overwhelming because me just being six weeks in basically being the senior companion for a few days introducing my new companion and getting him up to speed on all his responsibilities here. Man it was crazy but such a good growing experience.

Saturday we sent home the people that were going home, because we are the airport elders. In the morning we sent two kids home that were flying home to New Zealand. One of the guys luggage was like 8 kgs overweight and the lady wouldn't allow him to check it in. She said he would be able to bring the extra weight on in a backpack but he didn't have a backpack. So I was like ehh what the heck and just gave him mine. Haha weird job being a airport elder.. haha so now I'm back pack less. haha

 

Guy on the left now has my backpack and the short guy is my new companion.

Well that's pretty much it for the week. It was a great week, filled with new challenges but it allowed me to grow so much.  I love this work so much and know without a doubt that what I'm doing here is right. I love you all, have a good week everyone!

Elder Mumford

Saying goodbye to the funniest guy I know.  Elder Walls

Saying goodbye to my Kiribati boys

 

 

 

 

Bula Vinaka Week 6!

Bula vinaka everyone! I hope everyone had a great week! It was just another killer week out here in Fiji. I'm seriously having so much fun, and I'm starting to wish the time would just slow down, because wow its seriously flying. This work is so rewarding. I kind of thought a little that I was doing my Heavenly Father a favor by going on the mission but wow was I wrong. He blesses me so much everyday like I can't even comprehend. He loves us all so much, so if you are ever going through a hard time, just remember that your Heavenly Father loves and knows you.

Anyways last week we went to the sand dunes as I talked about a little. It was so fun, just these huge crazy sand dunes next to the ocean. We didn't bring anything to slide on, so instead we just had races down these way steep hills and ate it every time. haha Way fun. You might think that a mission would make you like a robot or something but wow its literally the opposite. It's just like they let children run loose in Fiji. haha Way fun!

Me and my companion

 

At the beginning of the week we ran out of support and didn't get money until Wensday, so the first half of the week we had some interesting meals... haha missionary life... Not too much noteworthy happened on Tuesday or Wensday, except for one of the more random questions ever. We were leaving a members house, and right when I was about to leave the lady that lived at the house was like, "So your name is Elder Mumford?" I said yes, and then she immediately was like " Oh so that means you're the great Grandson of Ezra Taft Benson right?" WHAT THE HAHAH I was dying. I'm not really sure how she drew that conclusion but wow random... hahaha 

On Thursday I had my first Zone conference here in Fiji. This is a meeting where all the missionaries on the west side of the Fiji main island come together and the misson president comes for an amazing meeting. Literally just such an inspired meeting. It felt like a general conference for missionaries, so cool. In the morning we got a call from the airport saying there were two elders that are serving in the Kiribati islands right now who missed their flight. So we went and picked them up from the airport and have had them at our flat for like 5 days as they wait for their work permit. It has been seriously so much fun with these guys. They both went to BYU before they came out on the mission and one played soccer there which is way cool. They're just so much fun to be around and we have had a killer time going on splits all week.

 

Kiribati Missionaries

Friday was a crazy day. I had my first one on one interview with president since being out in the field which was so good. He truly is an inspired man, and inspires us so much to become better. If I can be half of what he is someday it would be so great. I told him I want to go to as bush of an area as possible so we will see. It might be fun. :) Friday night we went on splits with the Kiribati elders. Me and Elder Buhler went to teach two lessons, both completely in Fijian, and since he doesn't know any Fijian, I had to lead the whole lesson. So you could say I was freaking out. Six weeks in the mission and leading two lessons?! But the first lesson ended up being the best lesson I've had out in the mission so far. We taught this girl who's named Losenna who is 22 and works at the airport. We have been teaching her for a while now, and she has been reading the Book of Mormon. She hasn't received an answer yet though. That was our goal is to recognize that she knows it is true. We taught the full lesson, and let me testify about the Gift of tongues. I shared everything I needed to say and committed her to be baptized on OCT 3. Talk about the best Bday present ever!!

Saturday was just a fun day with a ton more proselyting. Saturday night one of the Kiribati elders broke out a 50 dollar bill that he had been given by someone when he got to Fiji. So as responsible elders we used it to all go and buy a Mcflurry and a chocolate sundae for all of us. 33 dollars on ice cream and wow it was fantastic. hahah such responsible guys I know.

Well it was just such a killer fun week. We are truly figuring out how to work as hard as we can while still having so much fun! I love this work and love you all, Have a great week everyone!

Elder Mumford

We traveled to Stake conference on a bus with the Ward.

 

Two member kids on the bus
 

 

WEEK 5

Well guys it was another great week out here in this beautiful country. I love this work and am just excited to keep moving forward in what we are doing here. I don't have much time to email but I'll just give a quick little summary of the things that happened this week.

So on Tuesday we had exchanges, so I went to Sigatoka to do work with Elder Walls. He is this big funny Korean guy from LA who goes home in a week. We had a blast and worked way hard. Their area is a walking area, which I LOVE because you just get to talk to everyone as you walk so its way fun! Its a beautiful place so in the morning during excercise we hiked up to a lookout point above the city that I will attach a picture of. SO cool!

 

 

Wensday we transfered back. Me and Elder Moore went and had probably our best lesson of the week with a returning member, whose name is Brother Paul. This guy is seriously just the man, and is so excited about the gospel. We went over to his house and he told us he had just come back from town and he just bought a new Sulu, tie, and white shirt for his interview with the stake president. We have no idea where he got the money from, all we know is this gospel changes people and its so fun to be a part of.

Me and Elder Moore's new past time right now is to steal ripe mangoes off of our landlords tree. Literally so good, I love mangoes so much. We have to sneak and do it though because she is kind of a super mean old lady and doesn't like us much, so it definitely gives us an adrenaline rush every time because we are way afraid to get caught. haha We are like little kids here in Fiji. haha 

Today we also went to these huge sand dunes with a ton of other missionaries. Man it was so fun. You climb up these giant hills of sand and then all of a sudden the ocean is right there. It was unbelievably beautiful.

 

 

Like I said, not too much this week, but still it was a great week. We are so excited about this work and just love being here. I love you all, and have a good week everyone!

Elder Mumford

Fiji Week 4

Bula vinaka everyone!

Well it was another good week. Alot of hard work, alot of ups and downs but overall I really feel like we are doing our best to be succesful, and that's what matters! Love this Mission!

Ok so for Monday we had our first Zone P-day together! So we went up to Lautoka, a city about 25 minutes north of us and met all the elders and sisters in our zone. (about 24 in total) and played games and all that good stuff outside. Wow it was so much fun. It was my first real experience playing rugby, and I'm pretty much obsessed. SOOOO much fun. It's like all the good things about football mixed with the speed of play of lacrosse. So ya I was pretty much in Heaven. SOOOOOOO SWEEET. I attached a picture of our zone. It's funny because there are only like 8 people from the states out of 24. Alot of people from the islands which is so much fun!

Me and Elder Mokie at zone Pday

Tuesday we had our first Zone training meeting and wow it was awesome. We get taught by our zone leades about how to become better missionaries, and its just so cool. They are such great missionaries, and I really got to see first hand the type of missionary I wanted to become. After ZTM me and my companion had exchanges with the Zone leaders. I was way nervous because I'm just this new missionary going out on splits for the day with a zone leader but it was way good. He's been out for a year, so we actually graduated in the same class which was pretty cool, and he's from Utah, we got along way well and did some good work.

Me and Elder Johnson, the zone leader, on splits

Wensday we switched back companions and we had a way cool experience. We were going to share a lesson to two kids who have been taking the discussions and been awesome. Their mom is a member but their dad doesn't want them to be baptized so that's the problem. Anyways we got there and only the mom was home and we noticed all their big water tanks were empty. We asked her about them and she said that their water had gone out and she didn't know how they were going to get water. So we took the water tanks from them and drove them to the church and filled them all up for them and then drove them back. Wow you should have seen the looks on their faces. It was so cool that I was able to be used as a tool in my Heavenly Father's hands to help one of his children in need. It also made me so grateful for the things I have at home. These people were so grateful for three tanks of semi clean water, while at home we have swimming pools of clean water. Wow just so crazy....

Yesterday was Father's Day here in Fiji.  So after church we headed over to this families house and had a massive feed, with like 4 whole chickens and tons of other Fijian food! It was so fun because here in Fiji you don't eat with utensils, just your hands.  Man so loud and so much fun!

 

I don't have much time, so just one more story for the week. We have a guy and girl investigator that are just so awesome. They aren't married but because they want to be baptized they are getting married this week, so that will be way cool! Anyways it was pouring rain on Sunday morning but we still really wanted them to come to church so we decided to go check on them. When we got there we just gave them our umbrellas so they could get there not soaking wet. We came to find out later that day that that morning that couple was talking about how they wanted umbrellas to walk to church with. The husband told the wife to use pretty much their last 7 dollars to go buy an umbrella, but the wife insisted and said she would just go soaking wet. Right at this instant we showed up and gave them umbrellas. Man it was soo cool to see that God loves all his children so much. Even just for a little thing such as getting them umbrellas to walk to church with, he cares about and finds ways to help them with their needs. I can testify to you all that this church is true and God truly does live and care about us all!

Well It was a great week. I love this mission so much. Thanks everyone for all your support that you give to me. Love you all!

Elder Mumford

Ps In honor of the hail mary, GO COUGS

OUR MOM VAN

Our Living Room

Our kitchen....where we see mice all the time now.  haha